


Whipped Coffee and Warm Hearts

by fluffybigirl



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Modern Era, omigosh so much fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-26 23:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30113655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffybigirl/pseuds/fluffybigirl
Summary: Modern, College/University, and Coffee Shop AU.Engineering major Asami befriends the star athlete, Korra, at the coffee shop. But when Asami starts dating the undeniably hot guy, Mako, Korra doesn’t know why she’s upset about her “friend” dating him.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato, Mako/Asami Sato, because korrasami for the win, but Mako and Asami break up
Comments: 6
Kudos: 67
Collections: Korrasami





	1. Chapter I

Korra rushed into the quaint coffee shop, a binder above her head as the rain threatened to soak her head to toe. The air conditioning greeted her with a rush as the door closed with a chime behind her. She breathed deeply, gathering her frantic thoughts and lowering the wet binder. The plastic cover seemed to protect most of her chemistry notes from getting soaked but some from Chapter 1 didn’t seem to make it exactly. Oh well. She hated chemistry anyway.

Korra looked up and saw the barista – and dare she admit, her friend – Asami counting change for a customer before noticing Korra at the door and smiling at her kindly. Korra loved seeing her smile, and it put her at ease. Chemistry thoughts aside, she stood in line to get her usual order.

When her turn came, Asami didn’t even hesitate to start making her a hot white chocolate mocha with three shots of expresso and whipped cream. While putting on the final touch of whipped cream, she looked at Korra up and down and saw that her clothes were wet.

“Why did you run so much in the rain? Haven’t you heard of umbrellas, Korra?” she laughed.

Korra scoffed. “Well I’m sorry I’m not a weather woman. There was still a 10% chance of there not being thunderstorms today.”

“Right. That’s exactly how the math works, Miss I’m-here-on-a-soccer-scholarship-and-play-for-four-varsity-teams.” Asami finished the coffee cup and handed it to Korra who swiped her card and paid.

“Hey! It’s not my fault I’m good at four sports! And it’s not like I don’t have any brains at all, Miss I’m-an-engineering-major-so-I’m-the-smartest.” Asami chuckled and Korra smiled even wider at that. Even though Korra’s scholarship was a big deal to her, she didn’t want to bring up how Asami obviously got all her tuition money from her rich father. Everyone in the entire world knew that the second-richest man in the world, Hiroshi Sato, was an influential Duke alum. But Asami Sato, who never brought up her family or her last name, clearly didn’t want to talk about it so Korra respected her wishes. Asami did genuinely like majoring in engineering though, so it wasn’t all bad, Korra thought. At least that’s what she gathered from their short conversations while ordering coffee.

“Asami, you don’t mind if I stay here for a while studying, right?” Korra asked.

“Yeah, it’s no problem! I’m closing up shop so you can stay ‘till then.”

Korra gave her an appreciative smile and headed over to a small table next to the window. Putting on her headphones and opening her laptop, she got to work, focusing on her philosophy assignment on the existence of a spirit world. The rain pattering outside the window and the quiet chatter made the coffee shop the perfect place to study, as Korra learned last semester while studying for midterms. That was when she met Asami. During midterms week, Asami made sure that Korra always got her morning coffee with extra whipped cream and wished her luck on her exams, and Korra obviously reciprocated. 

She probably did that with every student that week, but Korra liked to think that it was only for her. That maybe she was her favorite customer…but they barely talked to each other outside of ordering coffees. Why was she so worried about what Asami thought of her? She shook her head, refocusing on her work.

When Korra emerged from her deep studying, the coffee shop was almost empty. Almost. Asami was at the counter, counting up the money. Korra took off her headphones and immediately regretted it. Oh no. It’s awkward now, she thought. She frantically tried to think of something to say to Asami before the silence lasted any longer. 

“Err – Asami? Um. Do you—”

“Huh?” Asami was crouching behind the counter now, getting something in a cabinet underneath. “What’d you say Ko— OUCH!”

Korra heard a bang and immediately stood up. “Asami! You okay?” She rushed over to the counter, leaned over it, and saw Asami sitting on her butt on the floor, rubbing the back of her head with her hand. “Are you okay?” she asked again.

“Yeah. I just banged my head on the corner of the counter. It’s nothing.” She slowly stood up face-to-face with Korra, the counter between them. “Um, thanks for rushing over.”

“Oh.” Korra realized that her original objective had failed. It was _super _awkward now. “No problem! I’m just glad you’re okay. Do you need ice?”__

“I can get some, don’t worry.” Asami turned around and quickly went to the back of the store to get ice from the freezer. When she came back, Korra was fiddling with her bracelets. Asami gently pressed the ice against her head. “Hey Korra, what were you studying today?” 

“Oh! I was doing a philosophy assignment on spirits. Boring stuff, am I right?” 

“That’s actually super cool! I wish I had space for an extra elective. They’re all taken up with supplementary engineering classes. I mean it’s not like I don’t like it – I guess I just wish I got to do something else, you know?” Asami sighed. 

“Is that why you work at the Joe Van Gogh? To do something different?” 

“Yeah, partly. I got this job because I also wanted to make some of my own money with my own work. Prove to people that I’m not… a spoiled rich girl….” She looked down. “Oh my gosh. Look at me, telling you all my depressing stuff!” 

“No! It’s totally fine. I love chatting – with you,” Korra added before she could chicken out. She blushed slightly and went back to fiddling with her bracelet.

“Same!” Asami responded, not noticing Korra’s awkwardness. She lowered her voice, leaned over the counter, and said, “You know…I’m not sure if you know this but my dad is Hiroshi Sato.” 

“Oh, everyone knows that!” Korra said, immediately regretting it when she saw how Asami backed away and frowned. 

“Yeah…I figured. Obviously my coworkers know and stuff, but it’s frustrating to meet new people sometimes because they judge me for being born rich. You’ve never done that though. I thought it was because you didn’t know though.” They both softly chuckled. 

In a burst of confidence, Korra said, “I like chatting with Asami, not the daughter of Hiroshi Sato.” 

Asami looked up at Korra, a smile beaming on her face. It was contagious and soon they were both smiling stupidly. Being with Asami put Korra at ease. Balancing a philosophy major and four varsity teams was extremely stressful. But when she was with Asami, all that seemed to melt away— 

Until a buzzing sound took them out of it. And another. And another. Knowing it was her phone, Korra walked over to her backpack at her table and grabbed it. She groaned when she realized it was Meelo and Ikki sending her animal gifs. She used to babysit them in high school for her family friends, Tenzin and Pema. In a weird coincidence, Tenzin was also her philosophy professor at Duke. She still called him Tenzin in her head. “Professor Tenzin” sounded so stiff. Well, then again, Tenzin wasn’t the most carefree person. 

Korra noticed the time too. It was almost one in the morning. “Woah! You close up shop pretty late.” 

“Yeah, but it’s okay since I have afternoon classes most days.” 

“Well, I have an 8am tomorrow so I should probably get going now,” she said with a laugh while picking up her laptop and her book. She wouldn’t need to carry her binder over her head again since the rain had stopped. 

“Yeah, of course!” She paused. “You’re coming tomorrow, right?” She looked at Korra hopefully. 

“You bet. Though don’t be surprised if I’m late to my 8am and have to come after class,” she said smiling. Her heart warmed at the sight of Asami’s grin.  
“Cool! See you then. I’m done here too so I’ll head out with you.” 

They both picked up their things and headed to the door. Their dorms were in opposite directions, and they waved each other goodbye. Korra felt content while walking away. _That really wasn’t so bad. Why was I so worried about being awkward around her? Or maybe I am awkward but she’s just way too nice to say so. Ugh…_

She quietly opened her dorm room and tiptoed past her sleeping roommate. After getting ready to sleep, she laid down on her bed and took out her phone to text Meelo and Ikki back, asking why they were up so late. They didn’t respond. _They probably fell asleep_ , she thought. 

Her eyes drooped and she fell asleep too, dreaming of the spirit world and Asami’s smile. 


	2. Chapter 2

For the next two weeks, Korra made sure to visit the coffee shop every morning and every evening. It’s not like she was constantly partying. She’d been to frat parties and decided they weren’t her style. And besides, going to the coffee shop gave her an excuse to see Asami and study. She needed to get her chem grade up. _Kill two birds with one stone_ , she thought.

When Korra went in the mornings, she chatted briefly with Asami and made sure to get her usual coffee order with whipped cream. The coffee shop was busy during that time, so she preferred going in the evenings when soft jazz played in the background and the warm light illuminated the dark street outside. Korra had also gotten into the habit of staying late and closing up shop with Asami at one in the morning, except on Wednesdays when Korra had her 8am class the next day. They usually talked about lighthearted topics, like the weather, pop culture (They both loved Star Wars and watching The Bachelor.), and classes.

Today, Asami was cleaning up the counter while Korra was wiping the tables. “Hey, you’ve been helping me for almost a week now. I feel like I should have your number by now!” Asami said.

Korra’s heart fluttered. _Yes, now we are officially friends!_ “Oh yeah, of course!” She headed over to the counter with her phone, opening up a new contact option. Asami did the same, and they exchanged numbers.

“Awesome! So…how’s life, hm? Got anything interesting happening?” Asami asked.

“Nah, nothing much. There’s this movement on campus – The Equalists, I think they’re called – that are causing some trouble, demonstrations and all. These people don’t want some speaker, to come next week so they’re all worked up about that. Tenzin is especially worried about them – oh, he’s my philosophy professor and an old family friend.”

“Oh, I heard about that. My dad has mentioned The Equalists before, but I never gave them much thought…” She drifted off into thought for a second before coming back and glancing at her. “Speaking of family, do you have any siblings?”

“No, but Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo are basically my adoptive siblings. Those are Tenzin’s kids. They’re a handful. But Jinora is very talented at – I don’t know – like, psychic abilities? I don’t know how to describe it but she’s very cool.”

“Aww, they seem fun. I don’t have any siblings. And we don’t have too many family friends. Since my dad is so intimidating and all. I don’t think I’ve ever had a real friend since elementary school.” Asami sighed.

“I mean, I consider you a friend.” Korra glanced at her and stammered out, “I mean – only if you want that – you know, I don’t want to pressure you—”

“I’d love that, Korra.” Asami was smiling at her again, and Korra calmed down. “Well, now that we have each other’s numbers we’re on track for that! What else do friends do? You’re clearly the expert here compared to me.”

“Well…I guess friends do things like gossip and give each other advice. They have inside jokes, too.”

“Hmm, what can we gossip about? Oh! I know! Any crushes, Korra?” She raised her eyebrows at her.

“Oh! Um, not really. Not even in High School, since I was homeschooled. I’m probably not the best ‘friend expert’ since most of my ‘friends’ were adults who tutored me,” she chuckled out.

“I guess we’re in the same boat. Well, for me there’s this one guy who comes here sometimes. He’s very cute, but I don’t even know his name. So next time he comes, I’m going to ask for his name and maybe his number. I’m so nervous.”

Korra was surprised at how bummed she felt at hearing this. But she didn’t show it. Asami was clearly happy to finally have a friend to confess this all to, and Korra didn’t want to ruin that. “Oh my gosh! You must tell me who this guy is. And I’m sure it’ll go well. Who wouldn’t want your number?”

Asami smiled appreciatively. “Thanks, Korra. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow. I think he likes to come on Thursdays. Oh, on another note, have you heard the news about the Bad Batch TV show? I can’t wait for it to start streaming.”

They kept chatting nonchalantly about Star Wars and the new Bachelor episode, and Korra forgot about feeling weird when Asami mentioned that guy. When they finished cleaning the shop, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways to their dorms.

* * *

The next day, Korra had her 8am class and didn’t get her usual morning cup of coffee, since she always woke up way too close to when she had to leave. Barely making it in time, she rushed through the door into the lecture hall and chose a seat near the aisle towards the back, next to some guy since all the other seats were taken. She took off her headphones to get ready for class and opened her laptop, trying to seem busy so that the guy wouldn’t make awkward small talk with her, but she failed.

“Hey. You’re Korra, right?”

“Um, yeah. Who’s asking? And how do you know my name?” She was caught off guard. Sometimes people already knew who she was, but it wasn’t too often. And usually, it was her private tutors or opposing teams in games.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not a creepy stalker or anything. My name’s Mako.” He stretched out his hand to shake hers, and she did so reluctantly. “I’ve seen you around on the cross-country trail sometimes. I’m on the men’s Division I team, by the way. You’re a legend,” he said, genuine awe in his voice. “I mean, four Division I Varsity teams? That’s unheard of. Maybe once in a century or something.”

Korra blushed with humble embarrassment. “Oh, um, thanks. I think cross-country is my favorite, even though administration thinks I’m the best at soccer.”

“Oh right, you’re the team captain and everything. Damn. I’m on the cross-country team, but nothing special.”

“I mean you’re in Division I cross-country. That’s not nothing.”

“I guess you’re right. Hey, how—”

The professor interrupted him. Voice booming, he said, “Today, we’ll start with a review of yesterday’s material. Does anyone remember anything about a z-test for a difference in proportions?”

Korra gave him an apologetic smile before turning away to start taking notes. She felt Mako’s eyes on her for a few seconds before he also started taking notes.

After class, Korra picked up her belongings and flung her backpack over her shoulder, ready to bolt out to have a way overdue breakfast. _I should go to the Joe Van Gogh. Maybe I can see Asami. I’ll surprise her, yeah. She’ll like that_ , she thought.

A hand on her shoulder stopped her. She shrugged it off aggressively before turning around to see that the hand belonged to Mako. “Hey, Korra. Do you want to…maybe be study partners?” he said shyly. “At least for this unit. I’m really struggling with these hypothesis tests. And you seemed like you understood it pretty well,” he said, not acknowledging the hand.

She thought for a second. Did she really want to see this guy more often? Well, there was nothing bad about him, per se. He was cute and hot, a perfect balance between the two. And he seemed like a nice guy. Plus studying together would force her to study for her Statistics class, for which she sometimes procrastinated. She breathed out. “Okay, sure. Let’s meet on Sunday in the Rubenstein Library. How’s 2pm?” She said all this while writing down her number on a piece of paper she tore out from her notes.

“Yeah, that works. Thank you so much. Honestly.”

Handing him the piece of paper, Korra nodded and finally left the lecture hall. Like before, she felt his eyes following her and shook off the uncomfortable feeling, excited to get to the coffee shop.

At the Joe Van Gogh, Korra found herself waiting for her usual coffee order with whipped cream (extra, this time). But it wasn’t Asami making it. “Do you know when Asami is coming for her shift?” Korra asked the barista.

“She’ll be here at 5pm. She does early mornings and evenings,” the barista told her.

“Oh, okay. Thank you.” Korra was bummed out at not being able to surprise Asami, so she took her warm coffee and went to her dorm. When she walked in, she saw her roommate, Opal, checking herself out in the mirror.

She asked Korra, “Do you think I look good for this date I’m going on? She said casual, so I tried…” She looked at Korra hopefully.

“Opal, you look great! I’m sure she’ll fall in love with you instantly,” she teased. Opal was wearing a red flannel shirt, dark grey cuffed pants, and classic Doc Martens. The perfect gay outfit, Korra thought jokingly.

“Stop it!” She smacked Korra playfully. “It’s the first date. We’ll see how it goes.” She checked her phone for the time. “Okay, I better get going. I’ll see you later tonight. Unless you get back super late from your date with the barista girl again,” she said, chuckling.

“It isn’t a date! We’re just good friends.” But Korra felt a little weird saying that. “And for your information, yes, I will be staying late at the coffee shop tonight.”

“Mhmm, just friends,” she mumbled. Before Korra could refute the obvious implication of that, Opal said, “Okay, see you tomorrow morning then!” and left, slamming the door. She had a habit of doing that when she was excited.

Maybe…just maybe, I don’t want Asami as just a friend, Korra allowed herself to think. She imagined a _purely hypothetical_ future where they dated. Asami would make her morning coffees with a heart made from foam. They would watch The Bachelor episodes together in Korra’s bed, popcorn in between them. Asami would be cheering for Korra on the soccer stands, and after the games, they would kiss—

 _Woah. Let's not get ahead of ourselves._ Korra shook her head and realized she was going to be late for her first rowing practice on the water since the lake thawed. It was a perfect distraction from her obsessive Asami thoughts, and so she got ready and headed out.

* * *

When 5pm rolled around, Korra had just finished rowing. Sweaty, sticky, and salty from her workout, she went to her dorm to take a speedy shower so that she could make it to the coffee shop as quickly as possible. She biked across the campus until she got to the Joe Van Gogh and parked her bike in front. She strode inside confidently, ready to greet Asami at the counter but stopped cold when she saw her talking to someone. A guy. Was this the guy that she said she had a crush on? Korra couldn’t make out who he was since she could only see the back of his head. (She noticed he had jet black hair, but that wasn’t much of a clue.) Still standing at the doorway, she saw them laugh at a joke that Asami seemed to make and Asami get all nervous as she seemed to ask him something. He nodded vigorously and opened his phone and handed it to her. She did the same, blushing while she looked at him. Were they exchanging numbers? Korra started feeling a bunch of different things (Jealousy? Envy? Hurt? Confusion?) but didn’t have time to sort through them because someone who wanted to get into the coffee shop rudely asked her to move out of the way.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, stepping out of the way. She picked her favorite table near the window and sat down, with a perfect angle of the counter and cash register. She could see the guy’s face better now and realized…wait – was that Mako? From her Statistics class?

She didn’t even know why she was so surprised. She even acknowledged to herself that he was “the perfect blend” of hot and cute. Even she couldn’t deny it. Of course, Asami would have a crush on this guy. And he clearly liked her back. Korra mentally kicked herself for not giving Asami more bi vibes or “I think we have chemistry” hints. But, she told herself, she did just realize that she – maybe – liked Asami a few hours before. _I should cut myself some slack_ , she thought, calming herself down.

But when she saw Mako wave Asami goodbye and wink at her (a _wink_? Wasn’t that a bit much?), her jealousy flared up again. She had to get this under control. She was still Asami’s friend, right? She had to be. Asami had just told her how appreciative she was of their friendship. Taking a few deep breaths, Korra pulled out her chemistry notes and got to work on her acid-base titration lab. _Yeah, this’ll get my mind off all this drama._

When a couple of hours passed and the shop was empty except for Asami and Korra, Korra was still diligently studying. Asami came over to Korra’s table and sat across from her. Leaning over, she blinked at Korra and asked, “Why didn’t you buy a coffee today? I thought it was a daily thing for tired athletes.”

Korra realized that in all her anxious jealousy, she had completely forgotten about her usual coffee order. “Oh, sorry about that. I was wrapped up in…chemistry…notes.” _Stop acting so awkward. Be like you usually are._

“Yeah, no worries, it was just a bit weird. Oh my gosh, I have to tell you. Did you see the guy I was talking to? He’s the guy I was telling you about!” she squealed. Her genuine excitement and energy made Korra feel more at ease, even if she was talking about Mako. “I got his name and his number. And apparently, he has a brother who is also a junior...” her voice trailed off as she looked at Korra hesitantly and expectantly.

“So…where are you going with this?” Korra had a faint idea, and she wasn’t sure if she was going to like it. 

Fidgeting with her gold necklace Asami said, “Well, so I mentioned that I had a good friend who was also single – and I was thinking – you, know – to make the first date less awkward – maybe – his brother and you could double date with us at some point.” She said that last part as a question, looking at Korra nervously.

“What?! Asami!” Korra said in slight surprise. She didn’t like this idea at all. Seeing Asami all up with some other guy? And being forced to make awkward small talk with this dude’s brother? “Nope. Not happening.”

“Come on! Please, Korra! I’d really appreciate it. This is my first date ever and I know that if you were there, I’d feel more comfortable. Plus, it could be fun! We could all end up friends you know?”

The first thing Asami said made Korra rethink. “Okay, I’ll do it. But only for you, not the brother.” And she was being honest there. If Asami would feel better with her there, she could endure anything.

Asami stood up and went over to hug Korra quickly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise, you’ll have fun,” she squealed before going to the counter to finish cleaning up.

Korra felt a little better about her decision now that she saw Asami so thankful. But there was something else still bothering her. “Hey, Asami. Didn’t you just meet this guy?”

Calling over the counter, she said, “Yeah, that was my first time really, really talking to him. But when he asked me out, I couldn’t say no. He’s just so cute.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Korra couldn’t stand that she couldn’t deny that fact. “When is this date anyway?”

“Tomorrow. 5pm. He said to meet here.”

“Ugh…so soon. Okay, I’ll be here. But remember, I’m only doing this for you.” She hoped that gave off the right amount of flirty vibes, but Asami didn’t seem to catch on.

“Really, thank you so much, Korra.” Looking up from her cleaning, she said, “Honestly, I really appreciate you doing this. You’re really the best friend I could have.”

Korra felt her heart soar at the compliment and said, “Right back at ya, Asami.” But while she basked in the feeling, she worried about the double date the next day. _Let’s hope it goes well, for Asami’s sake. And mine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 coming next week! I'll try to upload every Thursday.

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic! I'm so excited. Constructive (emphasis on constructive, please be nice to me :D) criticism is appreciated.


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